On Tuesday, March 11th, 2025, United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the Department of Education announced that they will lay off 1,315 workers–nearly 50% of their workforce.

What is the Department of Education and why is it important?

As SEIU President April Verrett shared in her statement, this is an “all-out attack on our nation’s future and will roll back decades of progress to ensure that every student, regardless of race, gender, disability, family income or zip code, has equal access to opportunity.”

The gutting of the Department of Education is devastating to students of all ages and civil servants who are losing their jobs. It will destabilize the education of all students who receive public education in this country—from early learning to K-12 to higher education—regardless of race, gender, disability, family income, or zip code.  

NOW IS THE TIME TO MOBILIZE!

Many of you have been talking to each other and preparing to mobilize and fight back. Keep up the pressure! We must educate ourselves about threats posed by the Trump administration and this Congress and empower them to take action. From the attacks on federal workers to Medicaid to federal funding to public education, it is all one fight between our communities and billionaires and big corporations.

WAYS TO FIGHT BACK:

1. Visit Congress.org at https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
2. Enter your address to find your Federal representatives.
3. When you call, all you need to do is tell the staff person who answers the phone, or leave message saying:  “Hello, my name is X (first name is fine) and I live at (zip code). I’m calling to say Medicaid Saves Lives and is important to the health of our families and our communities. I want Congress to make NO CUTS to Medicaid funding.”
    

Click the links below for more informational resources on the Department of Education attack: